In the latest of our exclusive interviews, we talk to up-and-coming star POPP3DUP! After gaining traction during the pandemic, POPP3DUP is back with new single ‘how many times!’
You may have heard his previous work – tracks like ‘I LUV U’ and ‘i know what u rSad4’ – but POPP3DUP’s commitment to honesty and authenticity means that his music is constantly evolving. New track ‘how many times,’ is a dreamlike and reflective song that should be added to all your fall playlists.
If we haven’t done enough to convince you yet, we’ll let POPP3DUP do the talking, and you’ll surely become a fan!
Our POPP3DUP Interview!
Congrats on your latest single, ‘how many times!’ What can you tell us about the writing and recording process of this track?
This song was written around the beginning of 2022, arguably the deepest I ever felt and the furthest I ever fell. Every lyric is a piece of my pain, every emotion in the way that I sing. My main focus was on creating a dreamy feel to the song. In the choruses, I had both my high vocals and low vocals mixed together to allow my voice to stand out more and great a contrast in the depth of the mix. On every other line of the chorus, I added a background vocal mixed with a lot of reverb to emphasize the importance of the lyrics and to continue to create that dreamy vibe.
For the verse, it was a little more simple to create some contrast. It was mainly one vocal throughout and again in the second part of the verse. I added a background vocal with a lot of reverb on every other line to create a sense of dreaminess and sadness. On my second chorus, I did a little pan with the beat and remixed my vocals to repeat the word ‘you’ to really focus on how much that ‘you’ meant at the time to me and why moving on was so hard.
How do you think your music has evolved between your first single and ‘how many times?’
Definitely the biggest difference ever. My oldest single on Spotify which is probably around a year after my creating my first genuine song still lacked a lot of aspects. My mixing got so much better, my vocals sit on the beat much better nowadays and the way my voice sounds has also changed a lot. The way I deliver my lyrics is different too and my style and genre have been influenced quite a bit since then. I’ve definitely grown more into hyper-pop and anti-pop but also doing more pop songs instead of the old emo-rap songs like ‘bad guy’ still one of my favourites though.
You’ve released a few singles so far, and we love how different they are from each other! Is an EP or full album something you’d love to do in the future?
Definitely I am looking to drop another EP sometime in the future after building on my profile and fanbase more. I want to have an established community before I drop another EP.
You seem to pride yourself on making music that is vulnerable and honest. Can it be difficult for you to share that honesty openly with your audience or does it come naturally to you?
I think I’m quite an open and sharing person. I like to tell people about my life and have no trouble expressing my feelings and thoughts which is perfect when it comes to writing songs as it’s basically second nature to me.
A lot of your lyricism is grounded in real life, which we love, but are you ever inspired by other things too, such as movies or books?
Not really to be honest. I really just write from real life experiences. From the things I feel to the stuff I see. Only real life experiences.
Your music mixes and blends a lot of genres, especially in songs like ‘know what u rSad4.’ How do you decide the influences that make up the POPP3DUP sound?
I don’t really decide on the influences. I think whatever genre of music I am into during the time I’m writing really influences the style of music I will make. However, emo-rap will always be the foundation of every song for me and hopefully, as the audience, you’re able to see aspects of it. But after the foundation phase, it can be any other genre that I’m going with at the time of writing.
Pop-punk is having a resurgence with a lot of Gen Z artists right now! Who are some artists in that genre that you look up to?
I look up to the one and only MGK. He is one of the biggest influences in my music for sure. Another would be blackbear, jxdn and many more.
As a Gen Z artist who promotes honesty and real-life in your work, is being a representative of your generation something that appeals to you?
Not really, I don’t want to represent anyone. I want to relate to and support them.
You started to get recognition for your music during the pandemic. How did that success help you through that time?
The success was great and it motivated me, even more, to push through the tough times in life in general and continue to work on my craft of music and reach new heights.
Once restrictions have eased more, are live shows something you want to tick off your bucket list?
Absolutely, live shows and performances are something that I’ve been thinking about for the longest of times.
Lastly, what message would you like to send to your international fans who are reading THP?
Whoever is reading this and listens to my music. I hope at least one of my songs will relate and connect with you emotionally and I hope you know that you’re not alone and I love you.
Thank you so much to POPP3DUP for talking to us in this exclusive interview! THP and your international fans love you too!
Are you a fan of ‘how many times?’ What did you think of our POPP3DUP interview? Let us know your thoughts over on Twitter @TheHoneyPOP! Or if that’s not your style, we can also be found on Facebook and Instagram!
Need some more interviews like this POPP3DUP one in your life? Here you go!
